This book looks at this classical sociologist's work on the family. Durkheim's writings in this area are little known, but the family was nevertheless one of his primary interests. It brings together Durkheim's ideas on the family from diverse sources and presents his family and sociology systematically and comprehensively. Chapter topics include: * Durkheim's life and times * his evolutionary theory of the family * methodologies for studying the family * the changing relationship of kin * conjugal family and the state * the interior of the family * family policy * gender * sexuality His work is situated in it's historical context and comparisons are drawn to present-day sociology of the family and family issues.
Mary Ann Lamanna is Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where she has been on the faculty since 1977. Born in New Jersey, she grew up in St. Louis and received a bachelor's degree (Phi Beta Kappa) in political science from Washington University. She spent a post-baccalaureate year at the University of Strasbourg, France on a Fulbright Scholarship. Her M.A. in sociology is from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and her Ph.D. in sociology is from the University of Notre Dame. She is coauthor (with Agnes Riedmann) of Marriages and Families: Making Choices in A Diverse Society, now in its seventh edition. She has published articles on nineteenth century women, adolescent women's discourse on sexuality and reproduction, images of mothers in legal opinions, gender issues in the teaching of criminal law, the gift-exchange in organ and tissue donation, and the sociological framing of the abortion issue. She plans a future book on sociological themes in the writings of Marcel Proust.
1. Introduction 2. The Origins & Evolution of the Family 3. Studying the Family 4. The Family System: Kin, Conjugal Family, & the State 5. The Interior of the Family 6. Family Problems, Public Policy, & Social Justice 7. Women & Sex: Challenges to the Family Order 8. Conclusion
"...a significant contribution to Durkheim studies. The author correctly identifies the lacuna in Durkheim studies with regard to his remarks on family and has done a commendable job in bringing together the scattered references and discussions of the topic in Durkheim's work." -- Rosalind Sydie "This valuable source for a systematic and comprehensive understanding of Durkheim's ideas on the family constitutes a major addition to the literature on the family, social theory, women's studies, and family law. Highly recommended for upper-division undergraduates and above." -- CHOICE
